*Maheshwari Pov*

I took a sip from the coffee mug and closed my eyes, feeling an inch of relief which I know will wash away after finishing this and facing the future.

Why? I thought, frowning still not understanding his behavior. I would have thought he would question me or even show anger, maybe even hurt yesterday.

But all he did was tucking me in his arms and caressed my scalp while not giving me a chance to say anything. I still remember how many times I opened my mouth to talk to him.

However, each single time he could just hug me more tightly and make a sound to maintain silence. Why? I thought again and turned around opening my eyes before pouring the liquid in the basin.

"Coffee was not good?" I gasped and turned around to see him walking into the kitchen with a blank face which he held on to from yesterday.

"Do you want some?" I asked, suddenly feeling awkward and that was more painful than the confusion I had in my head.

"Sure!" saying that he looked around but not at me before leaving the room while I tried to hold myself in control.

I put the milk on the stove and heard Grandpa's voice along with James and Di's voices. I increased the quantity along with keeping water beside it for the other two men.

"Thanks!" that was the word of everyone except for Di who is looking at me with worry in her eyes and I tried to give her an assurance smile.

"Shall we start?" James suddenly asked and I immediately got the image of this appearing as a courtroom and I am a culprit.

"Maha! I... I just wanted to know that's all." He added looking at my face, making me realize all the thoughts must have got better of me making my face pale.

"Sit!" Nakul said with no hint of anger, but gave a hard look to James.

"I am curious and I have nothing else to think about." James mumbled, but gave me an apologetic glance which I know is very hard for him.

I sat down and opened my mouth, but heard a new set of footsteps and we all glanced towards the door to see Mom and Father walking through the door.

"I called them." Di replied to our questions that appeared in our heads.

"They deserve to know what happened to her and they are here to meet her." She added, giving a look filled with challenge daring anyone to say what she did was wrong.

"We have many things to discuss." James said, but sighed and she shook her head.

"In which they deserve to be here too." Her reply was the last conversation before I was pulled up and hugged by my Mom who is mumbling something and all regarding how her daughter got suffered.

"I am fine, Mom." I said, hugging her back with terror for the future than anything.

"He will suffer and know that he shouldn't have never hurt you." Those anger words from the Father made me glance up to see his face filled with anger and worry.

"I am fine!" I whispered and he glanced at me with surprise before nodding.

"Please you both sit down." Di said and added, "Now, don't disturb Maha when she is talking because you guys were not there to know everything."

That's all we seven people sat in the living room with Mom and Di on either side of me while Nakul and James on the main couch and Father along with Grandpa on either side of it while we are sitting opposite to main couch.

"I knew... I knew Dad died even when Maheshwari Aunty was fighting for her life. I knew that his body was taken over by the hospital and was being post-mortem while my Mom was sitting beside the Aunty's bed with a lost look. I knew how I held onto Di feeling scared. I knew, it was Nakul, who was behind the wheel when the accident happened after looking at the pictures that were sent." I said not looking at anyone except at the carpet.

"You know? How?" Di asked while I ignored the confusion from Mom.

"So you really don't know that Maha knew about her Dad's death?" suddenly James asked before I can reply.

"We both were informed about his death and Mom's hospital rush together at a time. I already knew that she knows about her Dad. But my Dad didn't wish for her to know about the pictures or anything. That is the main shock for me." Di explained for him.

"Why are all these matters being talked right now?" Mom asked, not able to bear her confusion.

"Because everyone thought I didn't have any idea about any of those things." I replied and glanced at Nakul who is actually looking at the carpet.

"Mom showed me the pictures the very next day when I asked what were you three doing in the study room. You know she never hides much from me." I added, turning my glance to Di.

"I... I thought if you knew about Nakul being the culprit, you would have helped us more than anything." Di stated and I nodded.

I turned to stare at Nakul, James and Grandpa to see none of them are going to believe until I say the words.

"I have never planned to take revenge on Nakul even for a second in my life." I stated with an anger I don't know how to suppress.

"Why? Why didn't you?" this question was directed from the Grandpa.

So, James and Grandpa are the jury while Nakul will be writing my fate? I thought and suddenly laughed before hugging Mom and then gave into sobs.

"That's it! She is going to take a rest." Surprisingly, these words are from Nakul making me move away from Mom to stare at him.

"No! I am sorry about that." I said composing myself and took a deep breath.

"We all know Nakul doesn't have any personal agenda to harm my Dad or Aunt and that is just the reason for it." I replied staring at Grandpa.

"Your Dad also knows that, but it didn't stop him from wishing for a revenge and not your sister too." He continued and I nodded.

"Because... because I know how much it will hurt people to have a blame." I whispered and Mom tightened her grip on my shoulder and we both glanced at Father to see his face go pale.

"I am not saying anything with the reason to hurt you and please remember that." I added looking at him, but he cleared his throat before giving me a nod to go ahead.

"He didn't blame Nakul and actually he didn't know that a car came from out of nowhere from another lane and hit theirs. They four were there in that car, but because Dad was driving it and Aunty was sitting behind his seat, when the other car hit their side, they lost their lives." I explained and got a confused look from him in return.

"He blamed my Dad. He... he blamed my dad that he drove carelessly and talked bad about him the moment Aunty died. He shouted at Mom when she was there grieving and had this... this behavior that scared me, but also made me hate him." I added and then felt Di stiffen while the three court members gave a shocked look finally Nakul is showing some reaction.

"Mom understood his grief, but not me. An eight year old hated the person talking bad about her Dad who was no more. She hated him so much that she rebelled against him. She continued even though he immediately realized his mistake coming out of his grief, but she was not ready to listen. Mainly when he and his daughter started showing pain and flinch whenever her name was being called. When for his daughter's sake that is to reduce her pain the name was cut short. She showed her hate with openness for the whole ten years." I said and hugged myself feeling sick but didn't move.

"That is the reason I still don't call him Dad even though... even though I came out of that anger and everything. Do you know who brought me out of it?" I asked, staring straight at Nakul this time and he shook his head.

"Your Dad!" I replied and there was pin drop silence.

"I didn't know who he was really until he died, but then he talked about his grief, how he spoiled his son's life because of his stubbornness and how he repents it. I tried to console him and somehow I repeated the words my Dad used to say. While telling him, I felt like I was telling myself. In the end, I thanked him, saying he has helped a girl to come out of her anger and be happy with her family and then... then he had this whole satisfaction on his face which I didn't understand at that time, but later hearing the doctor's words I realized he felt happy thinking of it as a payment for everything." I said smiling at the memory.

"I never gave the person who did the accident a thought even after that and before because of my whole anger turned to my father, but later because I saw how a blame ruined so many happy moments in my life." I mumbled these words staring at Grandpa.

"I didn't know Dad blamed uncle. I just... just thought you didn't want me as your sister and stayed back even after you tried to be close." Di said and I turned to stare at her.

"And I always thought he is some bad step-father because of which you both were distant like, you know, your craving for a father's love and he keeping you away." James said and his words made me smile expecting such bluntness from him.

"No! I was the stupid step-daughter." I said shrugging.

"Don't you dare call yourself that. I deserve everything you showed and I... I thought it will be a payment by giving justice to your Dad's killer." Father's voice made me turn to stare at him in shock.

"I grieved for her already, but never for my friend feeling shame and then I got a chance to redeem it and I latched to it again losing my consciousness." He added and I stood up before moving near to him.

"He is not the culprit." I said and he nodded with no reluctance making me smile at him.

"Will you forgive me?" I asked him and he smiled.

"You may need to forgive me again for not understanding that you are trying to be my daughter these few years." He replied shaking his head.

"Then why don't we just cancel both." Di said and moved near us before pulling us into a group hug making us laugh and the Mom joined.

"I always told her that this stupid Sathish was always like this going stupid and doing stupid and later regretting it, but she didn't listen." Mom complained and I laughed.

After a few minutes we stepped back and he turned towards Nakul and Grandpa with a guilty look saying, "I was at my worst moment two times in my life and one was forgiven and hope the second would be soon even though I know I don't deserve both times."

I smiled, shaking my head and turned with happiness for clearing everything to stare at Nakul only to see his blank face making the smile drop.

"There was no revenge planned and I promise on my life." I said and waited for him to say something but he just sat there.

"I shouldn't have been hard on you, Maheshwari. I was just worried for my grandson, but now I am not anymore." Grandpa said, but I continued to stare at Nakul.

Then I nodded looking away and felt being pulled in asset of arms which was just disappointment because it was James.

"I shouldn't have doubted you, and I will continue to be your driver as a punishment, even now with my job finished here. I just... just didn't understand why didn't you tell me about your Dad when you revealed your family's plan. And it is in my job description to doubt. Next time, it will not happen. Maybe it will but then you are too kind hearted to forgive me." He said shrugging and I hugged him sighing.

"Just take care of my sister and everything will be forgiven." I whispered and he hugged me tightly.

"I am waiting for your sister to let me take care of her." He whispered and I stepped back nodding.

"Now, can she rest?" we heard a voice and turned to see Nakul is standing in his place.

"I am fine! And I am going to start breakfast." I said looking at everyone.

"Di will help me and then we will even do lunch here." I added and Di nodded.

"We will leave." Mom said, making me frown.

"We will come another time when it would be better. So much has happened and I need quick words to explain why all this discussion occurred today too, but will ask your sister." She added and I reluctantly nodded.

"Sweety will see to all such or even outside food is fine. You will go and take rest." Nakul said, but I ignored him with the pain churning inside.

While Di explained Mom everything, I walked into the kitchen to start the preparation. Di did most of the work while I did small things feeling lost in my thoughts.

"Di! Maybe you should talk to James and clear everything. He must have meant something else and you must have taken it as something else." I suddenly said making her pause.

"Just like how you want Nakul to do, right?" she asked softly and I nodded.

"He will because he loves you, but I will not because..." she trailed off.

"Because you don't love him." I mumbled and she shook her head moving her hands as to show it is opposite.

"I need to go to meet the police. So, no breakfast for me." Suddenly we heard James voice and turned to see him already turning around to leave.

"Seems like history is repeating..." I trailed off moving my hands as to show opposite way, but Di didn't listen to me at all looking at his back.

I didn't hear Nakul saying a word, but he was there in the house. Grandpa like always with work finished packing and left by evening.

And at night it was another picture with Nakul and me laying on the ends of the bed making me wish for something which I immediately pushed away not wishing to feel weak. But then I slept and immediately woke up feeling bound to somewhere with no control to move my body remembering being tied to a chair.

However, the next moment the panic left when he held me in his arms soothing my fears while I thought now everything will be fine but then when the same thing happened for the next week with him holding me only when there was some nightmare made me lose the thought of anything ever going to be fine.

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hope i can update soon but will see... so what are your thoughts about this...

by the way can be mistakes also because i rushed typing it... and not just grammatical mistakes... let me know any confusions that are there which i may have forgot... dont forget

how is the chap???

comment plz and vote...